Clothes hamper



Mai 18, 1943 T. .1. cALpAN ET AL CLOTHES HAMPER Filed Feb. 12, 1941 v 2Sheets-Shea? l rg/gsow,

Patente d May 18, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE) CLOTHES HAMPERHTerence J. Callan, Park Ridge,'and' Victor L. Erickson, Chicago, Ill.,assignors to Welmaid Products, Chicago, 111., a partnership consistingof Terrance J. Callan and Victor L. Erickson Application February12,1941, Serial No. 378,618 4 Claims. (01. 206-8) This inventionrelatesto a clothes hamper and more particularly to 'such' hamper inwhich the bag for soiled clothes or the like islhel'd. in uprightposition with" its 'mouth held distended in'open position to quickly andeasily permit soiled clothes, towels, or other articles to be washed, tobe thrown thereinto, and when the bag is sufficiently filled enable itto be quickly released from the supporting means and the outersupporting shell lifted up away from the bag.

The placing into-a bag of soiled clothes, towels, linen or otherarticles to be laundered, as heretofore done has been attended with muchdifficulty and time consumption, for the reason that when a bag alone isused the operator must first stop and open the mouth of the bag, theninsert the soiled articles one at a time or in small bunches into thebag, and then close the mouth of the bag, which are clumsy, timeconsuming operations, or when the'ordinary hamper is used the soiledarticles must first be removed from the hamper and then put into a bagin the manner reand supporting means at the open top, and a-b'ag havingmeans at the mouth to removablyreceive a ring so that the edges of thedistended mouth of the bag will rest upon the supporting means of theshell and be in position to permit soiled articles to be easilyandquickly thrown thereinto,

and when the bag is filled to theldesired extent allthat is necessary isto, with one stroke, pull the ring away from the mouth of the bag andlift the shell upwardly away from the bag leaving the filled bag on thefioor and ready to be carried to the place of laundering. This gives ineffect a hamper with a large open mouth having a bag removably mountedtherein, the bag when receiving soiled linen also having a large openmouth into which the linen can be tossed, and the bag when filled beinstantly and easily removable from the outer supporting shell and anempty bag 'quickly and easily inserted into the shell.

Among the objects of our inventionare the elimination of thedisadvantages and the accomplishment of the advantages referred toabove.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities inherently possessed by ourinvention will later more fully appear.

Our invention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangementof parts illustrated-= in the accompanying drawings, and

the present invention we while we have shown therein preferredembodiments, we wish it understood that the same are susceptible ofmodification and change without departing from the'spirit of ourinvention,

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of our novel hampershowing the supporting shell, with a bag in position therein, and'acover'on the top.

Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fig. 1 but with the cover omitted. Fig. 3isaperspective view of the cover, looking toward the under side thereof.y Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryvertical median section on the line 4-4 of Fig.2. l f

Fig. 5 is a horizontal transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 8. l l

Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 7 is a vertical median section onthe line 1-4 of Fig. 2 and showingthe bag partly in elevation and supported in operative position withinthe supporting shell.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the ring removed fromthemouth of the bag, the mouth of the bag partly closed; by the elastictherein, and the baghaving dropped down to the floor and the shell inpo'sition ready to be lifted up away from the bag. i

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the shell and bottom part of the bag,showing theshell-j partly removed from the bag.

Fig. 10 is a perspective distending the mouth oi the bag and supportingthe bag'from the top of the shell.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the ring as partly inserted into themouth of the bag.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but showing the mouth of thebag'distended with the ring completely in position therein.

Fig. '13 is a perspective view of the bag alone and without the ring inposition in the mouth thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the

supporting shell -I of our improved hamperis preferably of upstandingcylindrical shape open at the bottom, and top, and formed at the topwith means later describedfor supporting the distended mouth of the bag!when in position in the shell for receiving soiled clothes, linen orother articles. The shell may be of any desired construction and ofornamentalexterior appear ance, and for illustrative purposes only isshownas having a cylindrical body of wire netting 3 of view of the ringfor.

- netting 3 and against the feet at circumferential points slightlybelow the extreme top of the netting, and a bottom ring 5 fixed in asimilar manner to the wire netting near the extreme bottom thereof. Asseen in Fig. 5, the top ring 4 is formed at suitable circumferentiallyspaced points with inwardly extending projections or bends 6, threebeing shown although a greater number may be used if desired.

The bottom ring 5 is also formed with spaced projections or bends Iwhich extend inwardly and downwardly to serve as supporting feet whenthe hamper is stood upright on the floorv or other supporting base. Fourof the bends! are shown for illustrative purposes, but it is understoodthat any other number may be used as desired. Smoothly surrounding thecylindrical body 3 is an ornamental covering 8 of textile or otherformation as desired to enhance the appearance of the shell. While forillustrative purposes we have shown and described the cylindrical body3'fas' being made ofwire netting, we wish it under stood that saidcylindrical body can be of any other suitable construction desired, andis not to be limited to a cylinder but may be square or of any othernon-cylindrical shape desired. The covering 8 when made of textilematerial is tightly applied over the wire netting 3 and extendedinwardly at the top to form the flexible neck 9,

which has sewed or otherwise fixed around its inner circumference theedging material II] of cloth or the like, and which is fixed to the bodyof the neck 9 so as to form in cross-section a hollow beading to receivean elastic band II .to flexibly hold the neck 9 extended inwardly butFigs. 4 and 7. If the material of the neck 9 is more stifi in nature itneed not extend entirely to the ring 4, but it may or-rhay not contactsaid ring at the bends 6 when the bag is filled or partly 'fille'd asdesired.

The covering 8 at the-bottom edge is likewise formed with a hollowedging I2 to receive an elastic band I3 to hold the bottom edge tautlyinwardly around the bottom edge of the wire The bag 2 is formed at themouth end with a tubular edging I4 similar to the edging III at the topof the covering 8 and likewise containing an elastic band I5, the bagproper depending from said edging It. Extended outwardly and upwardlyfrom the edging I is a collar portion I6 of flexible nature such as atextile material, but which, if desired, could be of rubber or otherflexible substance. Stitched or otherwise fixed to one or both sides ofthe upper edge of the collar portion I6 is another tubular edging I'Isimilar in construction to the tubular portion I4 described above, andalso containing within its hollow interior an elastic band I8 which, asis also true of said mouth partially closed when the bag is re-v leasedfrom the supporting shell and during its later transportation. Thematerial of the collar portion I5 is formed at boththe tubular edgeportions I4 and H with gathers in order to give a desiredamount offullness to the collar portion I6 for apurpose that will later-be morefully understood.

mg or other purposes. :sides of the grill work 23 and just within theedge As will be understood in Figs. 4 and 7 and 10 to 13, theconstruction of the collar portion I6 and the tubular edge portions I4and I! with their elastic bands is such that when in normal positionthey are drawn to more or less of a closed condition, while they arestretchable to an open position to enable articles to be laundered to bequickly thrown into the bag. Assuming the bag mouth to be in normallypartially closed condition as seen in Fig. 13, it may be distended to beheld in open position by the ring I9 to which is secured any suitableflexible handle 20 which may be an elongated piece of cloth, cord,string or other device that may be quickly grasped by the hand to pullthe ring out of its position in the distended bag mouth. As will beunderstood in Figs. 10 and 11, one edge of the ring I9 is first insertedin the fullness of the collar portion I6, after which the collar portionmay be pulled entirely around the circumference of ring I9 and be heldtherearound by reason of the elastic band or other elastic materialwithin each of the tubular edge portions I4 and I7. Fig. 11 shows thecollar I6 being applied to ring I9 with the tubular edgings beingstretched over the ring. Fig. 12 shows this operation as being completedand the mouth of the bag held in distended or open position, it beingunderstood that the ring I 9 is at such timepositioned in the fullnessof the collar portion I6 with the tubular edge I! above the ring and thetubular edge I4 below the ring.

With the mouth of the bag in open position as shown in Fig. 12, the bagis then inserted into the shell I, the marginal portions of the open topof the bag being supported on the neck 9 of the outer covering 8, whichneck if the material thereof is suificiently flexible will bend inwardlyinto the position shown in Fig. 7 to rest against the inwardly extendingprojections 6. of ring 4 to support the distended top of the bag in openposition at the top of the shell.

When the bag is full or partially full as desired, the ring I9 may bequickly and easily removed from the collar portion I6 by merely giving aquick and easy upward pull to the flexible handle 28, whereupon the ringiscaused to instantly leave its position in the collar portion I6between the flexible edges I4 and I! and the bag drops to the bottom ofthe shell to rest on the floor or other base upon which the shell may bestanding. The shell is then quickly and easily removed by lifting itupwardly away from the bag 2, leaving the bag available to be carriedaway and a new bag inserted in the shell after the manner describedabove.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 3, if desired We may apply a cover 2! to the topof the shelI I when the hamper is not in use, such cover having thehandle 22 which may be easily grasped'to lift the cover away from thehamper when desired to throw soiled linen or the like into the bag 2through its distended month which, as explained above is supported inopen position at the top of the shell. The cover is formed of a metallicgrill work 23 welded, soldered or otherwise secured to a ring 2 which inturn has stretched thereover a suitable flexible textile material withelastic around its inner edge 25, which is formed in a manner similar tothe tubular edge portions it and ii for enabling the textile material tobe removed from the cover for renewal, cleans- Depending from opposite25 are downwardly extended portions 26 that are bent from the wire ofthe grilling so as to furnish means for preventing the cover fromsliding ofi of the shell laterally. The covering material 8 may be ofwaterproof material or not as desired, it being understood that suchcovering will be ornamental to give the hamper a more pleasingappearance in the home or wherever it is being used.

While in Figs. '7 and 4 we have shown the neck 9 of the covering 8flexed downwardly against the ring 4, it will be understood. that it mayor may not contact ring 4 depending upon the stifiness of the goodsused. When depressed downwardly against the ring 4 as shown in Fig. 4,the cover 2| will fit more closely against the top edge of the shell,but this is dependent on the stiffness of neck 9.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. In a hamper, a shell comprising a light weight body portion, inwardlyextending projections at the upper end of the body portion, said bodyportion having means to rest on the floor and support it in verticalposition, a bag having a neck portion formed with a pair ofcircumferential elastic edges spaced apart from each other axially ofthe bag and formed between said edges with fullness, a, ring over whichthe upper one of said elastic edges is stretched, said ring and neckportion being supported on said projections and holding the open mouthbag in the shell, and means projecting from the ring to enable it to beinstantly pulled from the neck portion, the bag dropped on the floor andthe shell quickly and easily lifted off of the bag.

2. In a hamper, a shell comprising a wire netting body portion, a ringfixed to said wire netting near the top, a ring with downwardlyextending feet fixed to the wire netting near the bottom, inwardlyextending projections on the top ring, an ornamental flexible coveringon theexterior of the wire netting, a bag within said shell having aneck with a pair of axially spaced elastic edges with fullnesstherebetween, a ring in the fullness'stretching said elastic edges andforming an open mouth for the bag, said ring and adjacent portions ofsaid fullness being supported on said projections, a handle on saidring, said handle being adapted'tfo be pulled upwardly to remove thering from the bag mouth permitting the mouth to collapse,{the bag dropto the floor, and the shell be easily removed by lifting it upwardlyaway from the bag.

3. In a hamper, a bag havin at its open end a pair of axially spacedelastic neck edges with fullness therebetween," a ring in said fullnessholding said edges stretched open and forming an open mouth for the'bag, and a support holding said ring and fullness with the bag inupright position, and handle means for pulling the ring from betweensaid edges to collapse the bag mouth.

4. In a hamper, an open-ended shell, inwardly extended supportingprojections in the open top of the shell, said shell having a flexiblecovering on its exterior, the covering extending inwardly at the top ofthe shell and above said projections, a bag in said shell, the baghaving a neck provided with a pair of axially spaced elastic neck edgesand formed between said edges with fullness to permit the bag mouth tobe distended, and also to move to partially closed position, a ringinserted in said fullness to hold said bag mouth distended and the bagpositioned within the shell with the neck and ring supported loosely onthe inwardly extended portionof the shell covering and said projections,and a handle extending from said ring adapted to be grasped and pulledto quickly release the bag from the shell, said shell being of a heightsomewhat greater than the length of the bag so that when the ring isremoved from the neck of the bag the filled bag will drop to the floorand the shell may be lifted away from the bag.

TERENCE J. CALLAN.

VICTOR L. ERICKSON.

